The Spaniards would have been favourites to win on their own
soil, but after their draw at Elland Road,
they were short-odds favourites to progress to the next Round. Against all the
odds United again triumphed in Valencia this time Johnny Giles celebrated the
birth of a baby daughter by scoring the first goal and Peter Lorimer got the
second without reply from the Spaniards. The odds were indeed heavy, as their
injury list was even bigger than it had been for the home leg. Absentees due to
injuries were now Alan Peacock, with a long term injury, Albert Johanneson and
Jimmy Greenhoff with thigh strains, Paul Reaney with a calf injury, Mike
O’Grady with a groin strain, Rod Johnson with a broken nose and Terry Cooper
with knee ligament problems, while in addition Bobby Collins and Jim Storrie
were not considered as their departure from the club seemed immanent.

Luckily for United Billy Bremner’s fourteen day suspension
for a recent sending off did not apply in Europe but Don
Revie had little option than to call upon his younger members of his squad in
the emergency. Nineteen-year-old Terry Hibbitt, was given his European debut on
the left wing and there was a second European game for the twenty-one year old
Rod Belfitt who was employed as the lone striker, while Paul Madeley put on the
number two jersey in Paul Reaney’s place with the fit again Willie Bell taking
his left back spot once again. Eddie Gray and Peter Lorimer slotted into
midfield which often contained five players. United’s front five, Johnny Giles,
Peter Lorimer, Rod Belfitt, Eddie Gray and Terry Hibbitt, had an average age of
just over twenty.

Johnny Giles opened the scoring after just eight minutes as
he pounced on a mistake by Toto to have a free run on goal to beat Jose Pesudo.
This stunned the Spaniards and they almost conceded a second a minute later,
but Manuel Mastre got in his saving tackle as Rod Belfitt was in the act of
shooting. However, once again United had their defence to thank with Jack
Charlton winning everything in the air and behind him Gary Sprake pulled off
four ‘world class’ saves as Valencia
poured forward in search of an equaliser.

Fortunately for United Valencia’s star Brazilian striker
Waldo had a poor game, missing three golden opportunities, including a short
range header and a shooting chance from just six yards. Valencia
won fifteen corners compared to Leeds’ five. United were
dangerous on the counter attack and Terry Hibbitt had a shot stopped on the
line by Francisco Paquito. Lorimer scored in the eighty-seventh minute with a
fine breakaway goal, with Paul Madeley making good ground on the right before
his shot was blocked but Johnny Giles quickly got control and his centre was
finished by Peter Lorimer and United were through to Fourth Round, the
quarter-final stage against Italian opposition in the form of Bologna.